Title: "After Ecbatana"

Author: Baliansword

Chapter: 8, "Alexander's Queens"

A/N: Wow, somehow I just keep going and going without stopping. I hope that everyone is enjoying everything. Let me know how I am doing. Happy holidays to everyone!

Olympias silently strode down the hall. A long white snake was wrapped around her wrist, and was holding on tightly to her arm. She approached the guards in front of Roxanne's room. They both looked at her, and with their posture told her that she could not enter. However, Olympias had only to blink a few times at them. Suddenly their mind was changed and she entered the room.

Roxanne looked up from where she sat brushing her hair. She put the ivory comb down and stared at Queen Olympias. She wore a white dress, which held only at her shoulders, and showed her tanned cleavage, the dress dangerously low in the front. Yet the rest of the dress came down to the floor, golden beads sewn to the ends. Even her feet were in gold sandals.

She wore long silver earrings, and about her neck was a golden necklace with a large dark stone. Her arm had a golden snake cuffed around it, and in the other arm she held a real snake, an albino of some kind. Her looks were intimidating enough, her dark hair perfectly placed, the curls which touched her shoulders gracing her skin only slightly. This was enough to put fear in Roxanne's heart. Yet it was not this that scared her most of all, it was her eyes that gave fear to Roxanne.

Her dark eyes stared at Roxanne, showing that Olympias did not fear her in the slightest. She held power in her eyes. They shone, and told everyone at the same time that this was a woman you did not want to cross. Roxanne began to stand, but Olympias put up a hand, bidding her to stop.

"There is no need for you to rise," Olympias said as she came even closer. It was easy to see that Roxanne would have her stay further away. She did not trust her. Good, that was the effect that Olympias wanted, distrust and fear. "I have only come to speak to you about the child in your womb."

"My son," Roxanne said, putting her arms protectively around the bulge in her belly. Olympias had a smirk on her lips and Roxanne did not like it. She held her stomach, and sat a little straighter. Surely she did not wish the child harm, it was her grandson, and Alexander's heir to the throne.

"He will be heir to all of Alexander's empire," Olympias said as she found a spare chair and pulled it close. She then sat, putting one knee over the other. Even the way she sat demanded attention and fear of her. "He will be brought up by the best, as Alexander was. He will learn to rule, just like his father, and his father before him, and so on. Yes, your son will be well cared for."

"Yes, I have been told this."

"It is really not him that I fear for. It is you," Olympias stated icily. The ice from her breath was enough to be inhaled by another and their heart would freeze. Olympias leaned closer, the same evil smile on her face, her eyes glittering with the thought of what she was about to say. "You cause too much of a scene in the palace. I do not know how women are in your country, but here, they obey. You are not to question Alexander. He is your husband, yes, but he is really your king. Do you understand me?"

"Get out."

"Not yet," Olympias said, unafraid of the girl calling the guards, for she would not. "Do you think that causing him anger is the best idea? Surely you can see that he does not love you now. He might have at one time, but not now. You are a stupid girl to think that getting in front of his friends, and pointing out Hephaestion and his relationship, is going to do anything but bring you bad luck. What makes you think that he will not kill you once your child is born if you are behaving so!"

"He would never."

"I am his mother, I raised him. I taught him to get rid of those that we do not need. His father Philip took a mistress, who brought him another heir, and was going to replace Alexander on the throne. Do you know what happened to her, and to the babe? They were both killed. So was Philip."

"You killed your husband?"

"I did not say that. I merely said they were killed. Whether or not I had anything to do with it has nothing to do with your situation. I am merely warning you, Roxanne, not to think that you can do as you please here. You are nothing in the way of things. I will kill you myself if you ever try to embarrass my son so again."

"Everyone knows it," Roxanne protested.

"Knowing is one thing, but for you to come out and scream it out at a dinner is something completely different. It is none of your business, what my son and Hephaestion do behind closed doors."

"He is my husband."

"Yes, and he will be for some time. But Hephaestion came before you, and he will always be before you. Leave the both of them alone, or I will kill you." Olympias leaned forward, the snake on her arm. The snake's tongue darted out of its mouth. It then hissed, barring its fangs at Roxanne. "I am glad that you and I had this opportunity to speak."

She stood then, and began to leave the room. She glanced over her shoulder, just to see the look on Roxanne's face. It was fear, plain fear. Olympias left the room. As soon as the doors shut behind her she laughed. She then continued down the hall, the snake wrapped around her wrist and arm. She was not a poisonous snake, but her bite was worse than some venom.

Olympias made her way back to her room, pleased with what she had done. She let the snake free itself from her grasp. It slithered freely about the room with the rest of Olympias' snakes. The Queen went to her bed, and happily fell backward onto her furs and pillows. She sighed, things were actually interesting here. Amazing, she had heard from Hephaestion that things were rather dull.